1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engineering assist method and system.
2. Description of the Background Art
Traditional design techniques require the creation of a prototype that is to be produced based on a product design specification (PDS) drafted by approximating function and performance of the product accounting for PDS of a car and specification of the installed equipment on the car. The prototype is then installed on the car and subjected to road testing. The road testing evaluates the performance and functional characteristics of the car. Testing on test bench is also carried out to evaluate operation of the prototype alone against the PDS. As a result of these tests, various modifications in parameter is made to the prototype and/or new parameter(s) are added, and these modifications are tested in order to allow for the production of a final product, which is optimized to fit the car.
While these traditional techniques or methods are effective, they are relatively costly and time consuming mainly due to the use of a real car for testing the prototype in a real operational setting. Preparation for the testing using the car requires considerably large amount of time and number of processes. Further, collecting reliable test results under a desired input condition inevitably demands repetition of the same testing using the car in order to compensate for deviation from the desired input condition, increasing the amount of time and number of processes. The deviation occurs due to different road profiles and/or different driving skills.
In development of a new car, the parameter optimization of modules, such as a chassis system, cannot begin until completion of a real car. Various changes and/or modifications to be made to the prototype as a result of road testing inevitably occur in the second half of the development of new car, and the production of a final product may be delayed until immediately before the production of a final version of car. In this case, any addition in functional characteristic, if needed, might cause an increase in number of input signals, causing cost increase or delay in production of the final product.
Further, the use of a real car over a long period of time increases cost for testing the prototype.
One attempt at improving upon the drawbacks upon these traditional techniques utilizes simulation of control logic and then downloads the control logic to a controller of a real car. JP P2000-329657A discloses an example of simulation technique of control logic of a chassis system.
While this approach reduces the amount of time required for developing a prototype, it still requires the use of a real car for testing.
An object of the present invention is to provide an engineering assist method and system, which can reduce the amount of time and cost required till the production of a final product or version of a module.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an engineering assist method and system, which can eliminate the road testing using a real car to allow for the production of a final product or version of a module, which is optimized to fit a car.